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Imaging Phospholipid Arrangement in Pultonary Surfactant Using Atomic Force Microscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2020

K. Nag ,
F. Possmayer ,
N. O. Petersen  and
S. A. Hearn
K. Nag
Affiliation:
Department of Obs. & Gyn. Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, CanadaN6A 5A5
F. Possmayer
Affiliation:
Department of Obs. & Gyn. Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, CanadaN6A 5A5
N. O. Petersen
Affiliation:
Department of Obs. & Gyn. Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, CanadaN6A 5A5
S. A. Hearn
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, St. Josephs Hospital, London, Canada, N6A 4V2
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Extract

Lung surfactant stabilizes the pulmonary air-water interface, by enriching this interface with films of amphipathic phospholipids. These films reduce the surface tension of the air-water interface to very low values (∼ 1 mN/m) at end expiration and prevents alveolar collapse. Surfactant contains mainly phospholipids (90%), and small amounts of associated proteins. Among the phospholipids, saturated dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and monounsaturated phosphatidylcholine are the main surfactant components, although significant amounts of other lipids are also present (1). DPPC is the only component of surfactant which exists in gel phase at physiological temperature, films of which can reduce the air-water surface tension to low values. DPPC films can undergo a fluid to gel transition with increase in the molecular packing leading to superstructures or domains (2). However it is not clear how the molecules of surfactant pack at the air-water interface to form highly compact films, and if DPPC phase segregate in such films.

Type
Biological Structure (Cells, Tissues, Organ Systems)
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 6 , Issue S2: Proceedings: Microscopy & Microanalysis 2000, Microscopy Society of America 58th Annual Meeting, Microbeam Analysis Society 34th Annual Meeting, Microscopical Society of Canada/Societe de Microscopie de Canada 27th Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania August 13-17, 2000 , August 2000 , pp. 870 - 871
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America

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References

1] Veldhuizen, R. et al. (1998) Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1408:90–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

2] Nag, K. et al. (1998) Biophysical J., 74:2983–2995.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

3] Nag, K. et al., (1999) J. Structural Biology, 126:1–15CrossRefGoogle Scholar

4] Zhai, X. & Kleijn, J.M (1997) Thin Solid Films, 304:327–332.CrossRefGoogle Scholar